Can Vfp runtime/exe be all on the Server 1

[justamistere]

Can multiple users run the same Vfp .exe file (and any runtime files) stored in a server folder? Is installing the Vfp runtime files on Local PC's a must?

Tenatively, I would like to run them from New PC's that do not have any Vfp files on them.

The "other" web-person here claims using .asp and Windows' "integrated" browser doesn't have these requirements. We (IS-Dept) like the security of MS SQL Server, but some of the data-centric robustness and ad-hoc reporting features of VFP-7 (jump to 9 later), are extremely helpful.

 

[jimoo]

I always thought the runtimes had to be installed on the user's pc. However, I recently completed work for a client and all they had (past developer) was the runtimes stored in the application startup directory on the server. The app worked fine.

I suggest testing it in your environment to see if it works without having to perform a user runtime install.






Jim Osieczonek
Delta Business Group, LLC

http://www.deltabg.com

 

[craigber]

The runtimes must be installed locally. However, you can place the EXE on the server, but I don't recommend it. You could have some performance issues. Your coworker is correct, using browser-based applications requires no installation on the user computer. However, you don't get a rich, fully functional GUI that way.

Craig Berntson
MCSD, Visual FoxPro MVP,

http://www.craigberntson.com

Author, CrysDev: A Developer's Guide to Integrating Crystal Reports"

 

[jimoo]

Craig

That is what I thought, but I did some work for a client with several users (over 50) and there was no user setup program. I spoke to the prior programmer and he stated he just copied them into the app startup directory. I completed the task because all worked well, but I left scratching my head (thus the bald spot) because I also thought the runtimes had to be installed locally. It may depend on the network/setup.



Jim Osieczonek
Delta Business Group, LLC

http://www.deltabg.com

 

[torturedmind]

i remember reading it somewhere but i cant remember where. anyways, it said that this approach (wherein the app and its runtime files reside in the server) can only be done with vfp6 and below. that's how one of our apps is running (which is btw seldomly accessed by users). i know this is not the best approach as dll's and other runtime files need to be registered to windows. i dunno about vfp7 and up, tho, as i haven't got any copy of them to play with.

hope this helps. peace!

kilroy
philippines

"If the automobile had followed the same development cycle as the computer, a Rolls-Royce would today cost $100, get one million miles to the gallon, and explode once a year, killing everyone inside."

 

[Olaf Doschke]

if the runtimes are in the same folder as the exe, the exe finds them there and doesn't complain. But it still means, that the runtimes and exe are loaded into client memory and are executed there.

It's not a good way to do this, though, as this increases network traffic. And you may experience some things not working without local registering, for example XMLTOCURSOR normally uses MSXML and that must be installed at the clients. It's better to have the runtimes installed on the clients and it's not very complicated. Simply create a Setup for a very simple app with Installshield express. Once installed, the runtimes are properly registered and you can run any foxpro application just deploying the exe.

If you simply start a .bat instead of the exe this may use xcopy32 and copy a server side exe to a local folder if newer and than run the local copy. This way you only have network traffic thriugh the exe every once a while if
it has changed and not during any startup.

Another solution would be to use terminal services. Then the exe really runs on the server...

Bye, Olaf.

 

[jimoo]

OlafDoschke

I think you did a good job summarizing it.

FYI - The app I worked on was originally in 7.0 and upgraded to 8.0. Installing the runtimes on the network in the app startup directory worked in both instances.



Jim Osieczonek
Delta Business Group, LLC

http://www.deltabg.com

 

[Olaf Doschke]

Installing the runtimes on the network in the app startup directory worked in both instances.

Well, the runtimes are just copied to the network folder, not really installed, are they?

Foxpro looks in certain places for the runtime Dlls and one of them is the startup directory, so this works mostly, but is not the recommended way due to the disadvantages I described.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[justamistere]

Thanks a bunch for all the great responses. Yes, in the past, and again, I will use a small Visual Basic .exe "starter/updater" program, to check files dates for the newest revision. This copies the app-.exe locally and then uses the windows Shell api to run it. I haven't tried the .bat file method mentined here.

ASP/HTML/SQL-Server is much easier to administor, but it can't do as much as VFP in some specific areas.

The network people here don't want a lot of network traffic, but they are too lazy to have to install a new runtime on all of the user's PCs (Vfp6, 7, 9), since they have to give them LOCAL PC Administrator rights and have IS-Dept to install (Vfp-RT) .dll files and registry entries.

Unfortunately VFP runtimes are not pre-installed on al PCs, like Visual C++ or Visual Basic. Tell Bill that they should be included.

Maybe if we all sent Bill a message he'll quietly, include Vfp-RT files in Windows? It could easily fit on a WINDOWS CD/DVD, and he would sell more Vfp-9's. Where's Vfp.Net? sorry for the rambling...

 

[Olaf Doschke]

Well, there are methods to deploy software packages to clients and no need to give users administrative rights or to have runtimes of every language preinstalled. The IT department should be familiar with that.

For example there is RIS (Remote Installation Services), SMS (Systems Management Server) and SUS (Software Update Service) which are capable to remotly install a customized windows and/or update windows. And a customized windows may also be one with registeres vfp runtimes.

A statting point:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/desktopdeployment/depprocess/default.mspx

And I'm sure there are other and even easier ways to update/install software at booting without user interferance and with administrative rights, although the user has not.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[foxdbs]

If it is standard application (not COM server) all files include foxpro runtimes can be on the server.

Network performance will be near same as if runtimes are on local machines.

But there are different problems with administration and upgrades:

If installed on local machines, you have to instal upgrades on all machines, however you can create an upgrade procedure, which checks, if newer version is on the server and copies it to the station before starting of application (that is for smaller update, when data structures remain same). So it isn't necessary to stop work of all users, if you want upgrade the application.

If installed on the server only, you always have to stop work of all users to have possibility to copy new version to the server disk. This can be difficult, if you haven't a messaging system implemented in your application (which can display warning to the users + shutdown the application later).